Bravery is rewarded by torture
by blueblur2000
Summary: In a brave attempt to save his friends. Jeremie Belpois lets Xana kidnap him in order for Aelita, Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi, to escape. Now XANA tortures Jeremie to recieve the location of his friends, and the gang is left to wonder and worry about what happened to their friend. Will Jeremie willingly die for his friends or give in to the torture? Not to be finished. Sorry guys! :(
1. The Captive

A young boy was chained to the wall, battered, bruised, and bloody. A trickle of scarlet liquid ran from his lips and red marks covered his chest, given that his shirt was missing. All he could see was a blur, and he felt groggy. It took him a while to remember that his glasses had been thrown on the ground and smashed under the foot of his captor. A slurred voice soon faded into malicious laughter, and the 13 year old tried to remember at least why he was here.

"Wh-who are 'ou." The boy slurred. His captor roughly stuck a cracked pair of glasses onto the victims face. As the tired kid studied the captors face, a sharp pang of realization hit him. His pupils dialated and an expression of horror spread across the tortured soul. The child immediately began to struggle, hopelessly attempting to free himself of his bonds.

The captor gave an evil smile and waggled his finger in front of the captive's eyes, "Now don't you remember the punishment for trying to escape?" The shadowy figure asked.

The figure's fingers lit up with electricity in front of the captives face, trying to scare the child into submission.

Though he knew what tortures lay ahead, the boy didn't stop his struggle and in fact spat in his captors face. "I will never give into you, X.A.N.A. You hear? I will esc-''

The kid's sentence was cut short as an extreme level of voltage surged from his head to toe. The figure had wrapped his hands around the child's neck and was sending an electric current through the poor child. The kid thrashed around trying to at least strike a blow on his captor, but his restraints held him back and he could only scream in agony. This was mere entertainment for the figure. He chuckled as he increased the voltage in his attack, watching the child curse him and scream. Yet the boy didn't beg for mercy. Instead he bit back the tears that had welled up in his eyes and managed a menacing glare, even bearing severe and throbbing burns, cuts, scrapes, and bruises, the boy wouldn't give in.

A look of surprise spread across the captor's face. He had been sure that the mere mortal would break sooner than this. This one was the only of the group that he managed to capture. The rest escaped. In fact, the captive had served as a decoy for his friends, giving himself up to the figure and in turn, giving his friends time to escape.

The figure grimaced at the memory and his anger began to rise rapidly. "Tell me where your friends are, Jeremie!" The captor's demonic voice boomed.

Jeremie thrust his face as far forward as his restraints would allow, "Never." He hissed, "I would never tell you where Aelita is, let alone Ulrich, Odd, or Yumi. Why you would get an idea like that is beyond me, X.A.N.A."

XANA was fuming. "Why not? Why let yourself be tortured when you could tell me where they are and have peace?"

Jeremie snarled with fury, "I will never have peace with you alive. Plus, I expected this to happen, and I let it happen in order to save my friends. They may not like it, but I saved their lives for the time being."

At that point XANA's anger got the best of him. He tightened the restraints so much that they stretched Jeremie until one of his shoulders dislocated itself.

He whipped his head towards XANA, "If you think that will make me give in, think again." The boy's voice was obviously strained and scratchy from lack of water. The artificial intelligence hissed and unlocked Jeremie's chains.

Jeremie dropped to the floor with an, "Oof."

XANA then proceeded to grab the child by his neck and begin to squeeze.

"Tell me where they are!"

"Nope!"

The AI threw Jeremie against the wall, breaking the boy's glasses into pieces in the process.

"I ask you again-"

Jeremie cut him off.

"No way, XANA."

"ARRRRGGGGHH!" XANA began electrocuting Jeremie, making the child's blonde hair stand up in a spiky fashion. In all of this, Jeremie passed out. XANA locked the blonde up and probe his unconscious mind with hypnotic nightmares.

"Soon he will break." XANA commented, watching the 13 year old struggle for his life within his horrible nightmare. The AI watched with pleasure at his long-time enemy's torture.

**Nice first chapter huh? It came to me when I was bored. I don't have a specific time for my next chapter's release so just keep checking up on it! R&R please. Thank you!**


	2. The SAFEHOUSEFLASHBACK YAY!

**Yumi's P.O.V….**

Sitting in their "Safe house", the Lyoko Warriors settle into pangs of guilt and sadness. Yumi in particular had a lot on her mind. She wished she had thought to do what Jeremie had done, and given the gang's mood, everyone else was thinking the same about themselves.

Aelita in particular wouldn't stop crying. Leaning on Odd, whose jacket was wet from the pinkett's tears, she asked herself over and over, "Why him? Why did he have to go and do that?" And for once, Odd could not lighten the mood. Ulrich sat in the corner, sharpening a stick with his pocket-knife. Yumi was trying to figure out how to get Jeremie back, but solving these problems was usually this missing genius' job.

She winced at the memory of the blonde. Jeremie. She was beginning to feel like Aelita. Asking herself "Why?" so much. She looked over to find Aelita asleep now. Odd was glumly munching on a granola bar since he no longer had to comfort her. Yumi shook her head and leaned against the wall. Within the silent "Safe House", she wondered if Jeremie was okay.

**AELITA'S POV…**

Aelita soon found herself drifting into a dream. She had just "woken up" to a combination of a thunderstorm and Jeremie's knock on the door. "Aelita! We have to go, plan Alpha-Zeta is going into action!" Aelita's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Jeremie was already out of breath, "XANA…Gunmen…Thunderstorm…Portal..."

"Jeremie calm down!"

"NO! We have to go to the Safe House!" Jeremie grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hall. Ulrich was waiting with Odd outside the door and they all started running towards the stairs. A flash of lightning was followed by a crack of thunder, BOOOOM! The lights flickered and the power was cut.

"I don't believe it!" Odd shouted. The back up lighting came on to reveal a man pointing a 9mm hand-gun straight at Aelita and Jeremie. The eye of XANA was in his eyes and his finger was on the trigger. Jeremie instinctively became Aelita's human shield. But before the Gunman could take action, Ulrich sprung into the air, pocket knife in hand. "IMPACT!" The brunette stuck the knife into the gunman's back. The man fell and the specter fizzled into nothingness. "Impact?" Odd asked quizzically.

"Instinct." Ulrich replied with a shrug. The gang proceeded down the stairs and outside. The wind was howling and lightning flashed all around them. They ran towards the front gate. "XANA really has it in for us this time, huh guys?" Ulrich commented. Gunmen were guarding the entrance, but there were only two. Odd grabbed a branch and Ulrich took out his pocket knife. "YAAAAAAA!" The duo charged the gunmen and engaged in battle. Odd gave the first a hefty blow to the head while Ulrich slashed at the other. The gunman hit Ulrich to the ground with the butt of his gun and pointed the barrel right between his eyes. "Back off my friend!" Odd brought down his stick on to the man's head and knocked him out cold.

"Hurry we have to get to Yumi!" Ulrich yelled. Jeremie, to everyone's surprise, picked up a Barret 50 cal. From one of the gunmen. The genius looked up to find them all staring at him.

"Jeremie!" Odd gasped.

"If we're gonna make it I suggest using any weapon we can find, Odd."

"But do you even know how to shoot that thing?"

Jeremie's face went red, "I used them all the time in military school."

"You went to military school?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Jeremie slung the gun over his shoulder and advised Aelita to get herself a weapon. Aelita shakily grabbed a pistol off of one of the men and followed the gang to Yumi's house as fast as their feet could carry them.

"Wait here guys." Jeremie told the gang as he ran up to Yumi's door. He knocked and Yumi came out quickly. Her expression changed to surprise when she noticed the heavy artillery that Jeremie wielded. "Plan Alpha-Zeta." That's all Jeremie had to say before a look of understanding took over the Japenese girl's face. Together they all dashed down the street. But none of them knew what was coming next.

**OOOO cliff-hanger! Don't you hate them? Well the next chapter is coming soon! So read on!**


	3. Flashback part 2

**I'm Back with part 2 of Aelita's dream. To those of you who haven't figured it out, this is a flashback….**

They didn't stop running, they didn't speak to eachother, they just ran. They went over the procedure of plan Alpha-Zeta and knew exactly what to do. They made it back to Kadic Academy's front gate to find that the unconscious were gone.

"Not good." Whispered Ulrich and Jeremie simultaneously.

BANG! The shot rang out clearly in the night air. It was obviously gunfire but what for? Looking around, Aelita realized everyone else was confused. Except for Jeremie. He was gritting his teeth and he let out a pained gasp.

"Jeremie, NO!" Aelita gasped.

Everyone was looking at her with confusion. Finally Jeremie gave her a less than goofy smile.

"They only got my leg, Princess." He breathed. Jeremie started limping towards the forest. "We have to keep moving." The blood was soaking through his pants but he kept moving.

"Jeremie wait!" Ulrich ran forward and let Jeremie use his shoulder for support. They hurried through the woods, quickly and quietly. CRASH! Lightening struck. There was a creaking noise. Everyone gasped. The oak! It was falling, and Aelita was right underneath it. Jeremie noticed this and let go of Ulrich. He grabbed Aelita and they both ran/limped to safety. The tree feel with a thud, right where Aelita was standing. This was only a minor setback, for The Lyoko Warriors, simply leapt over the fallen oak and rushed through the woods. Soon enough footsteps were heard. Then gunfire all around the gang.

"Keep moving!" Ulrich hissed.

They gunmen were obviously chasing them but the gang picked up the pace and sped towards the Safe House. Hopefully the place they were headed to was as safe as the name deemed. Aelita could see Jeremie lagging behind due to his injury. Apparently he saw this as an opportunity. The blonde whipped his sniper-rifle off of his back and began firing behind the group.

At first she thought it was pointless but soon heard the footsteps grow quieter. To add to this she heard shouts of agony in the background. Jeremie smiled at this and sped up a little. Suddenly, rain began to fall, creating a watery haze that made it hard to see.

"Stay close!" Ulrich yelled over the gunfire, thunder and pouring rain. The gang kept pace, with every step, the got closer to a safe place. "Almost there!" Yumi was barely audible in the chaos. There was a flash that lit up the area that the gang was in, that lasted long enough for them to see a shadowy specter standing dead ahead of the children.

This specter was different. It wasn't really a ghost. It was a demonic figure, engulfed in shadow and flame. The eye of XANA on it's chest and where actual eyes should have been.

"XANA…" Aelita heard Jeremie whisper. She readied herself to ask questions but was cut off by maniacal laughter. The specter was slithering towards the group, leaving black smoke in it's wake. Odd was on the balls of his feet, "GO!" He darted past the specter with Aelita, Yumi, and Ulrich hot on his tail. Jeremie on the other hand was still lagging behind, his leg still bleeding heavily.

The specter hadn't noticed this however and followed the rest of the group. It hissed and spat. "You will not escape, Lyoko Warriors. Your journey ends here, for each and every one of you." It felt the need to scare the children before they met their demise. A black orb generated in the specter's palm, "This is a portal. Upon impact with your mortal bodies, it will transport you to my lair, where I will kill you all…" It paused, "Slowly." He added with a malicious smile. The specter raised his hand and pointed it towards the gang. The orb was released and the specter disappeared. The dark enery hurtled at the group.

"NOOOO!"

The kids watching in horror as a heavily injured boy raced towards them. Jeremie flung himself at the orb. He leapt into the air and took the energy like a bullet to the chest. The orb sent electric pulses into the surrounding air, electrocuting the young genius.

"Jeremie!" Aelita screamed.

The 13- year old hung suspended in the air, electric currents coursing through him for what seemed like forever. The child gritted his teeth, "Run." Jeremie told them.

Odd grabbed Aelita's wrist, "We have to go, NOW."

"We can't leave him!"

"We'll all die if we stay much longer!"

Aelita was bawling now. Odd and Ulrich were now both trying to drag her to safety.

"RUN NOW!" Jeremie commanded. He was obviously in pain now. A black mist was now encircling him choking and strangling him.

"NO!" Aelita wouldn't let him go.

The boy was floating in the black mist, struggling to get free. "GO!" He managed to yell out.

Ulrich hefted her over one shoulder, "Don't let him die in vain! Come on!"

There was a blinding flash and a blast of wind. The Lyoko Warriors looked up again to find that their friend was gone.

"JEREMIE!" Aelita woke up yelling the boy's name. She shivered, remembering how much he had sacrificed just to save four kids from the clutches of a demonic artificial intelligence. She began to cry as she thought of the genius' face. After a few moments, Yumi joined her side and cried as well, soon followed by Urich and Odd.

**That's how it all went down! Sorry if some parts seemed rushed. I had writer's block on this part. Thanks for reading and I expect chapter 4 to be up soon. **

**Blueblur out!**


	4. CRISIS CITY

_WOW. You guys I am sooooo sorry. I have not had any time to write my story. I will try to keep updating but it's getting hard. Thanks for all your support. Now on to the next chapter…_

Jeremie's POV

It has been one week now. One week. A single week since my capture. As I look around I find that the dark room I am usually familiar with is a huge blur. I groan because I now realize that my glasses were smashed in the last "interrogation". I slump lower in my chains. I try to keep myself intact with the world around me by naming facts about myself in my head.

_My name is Jeremie Belpois. I am 13 years old. I live and go to school at Kadic Academy. I am in the 8__th__ grade. I have a group of friends: Ulrich, Yumi, Odd and Aelita. We fight against a demonic AI on a normal basis to save the world. We had to create a safehouse in preparation for a big attack. We ran there a week ago. We almost made it. I had to give myself up so the others would make it. I am prisoner. I am tortured a lot and on the brink of death. Why am I not dead? I should be dead…_

My thoughts are interrupted by a metallic hiss. I grit my teeth knowing what is coming. A black blur enters my field of vision.

"Belpois." It growls. Though I can't quite see the AI, I look straight at it.

"XANA, how's that plan working out for you?" If I am going to die, I want to have some fun torturing my long time enemy. I hear something of a snarl. A pain scorches my jaw and I know that I have been struck. To my surprise, I hear my chains jingle.

"OOF!" I hit the steel floor with a thud. I collect myself and stand up, bracing myself for any sort of pain, but to no avail. I look up, I can see now, though these are not MY glasses, I have on a pair.

"Why help me to see my enemy, when I am not locked up." Apparently I take sight for granted.

"I am not helping you, fool," XANA cackles, "I want you to see your failure!" I give him no reaction physically, but my mind is whirling. Failure? I did not fail, I saved my friends. I may have failed to save myself, but even XANA knows that that is no failure to me. He grabs me by the neck and we warp through France. We stop at Kadic. I feel my pupils dialate as I scan the grounds with horror. The main building, elective building and a few others are in flames. The Science building has been reduced to rubble.

I begin to thrash in his grip, cursing him colorfully. He just laughs at my futile efforts.

"There's so much more, Jeremie. Believe me, you will see it all."

We warp again and I find myself standing before the kids of Kadic along with a few teachers, like Jim, and Delmas. A few gasps come from the children. A few whispers are heard including, "Jeremie?" "Where did you go?" and "I thought he and the others were dead." That one haunted me most. I only have a short moment to look around and see the injured, scared, tired, and weeping around me. Then I am flashed back into my prison.

I find myself in chains, drifting off after this horrid adventure.

…

The world around me is fiery and broken. Buildings reduced to rubble, people screaming, grieving, crying, bleeding. I find myself staring at another me. That Jeremie is glaring down at the crowd of the broken spirits. He smiles at their demise and gives a laugh that shakes me to the core.

Those who are brave and defiant enough yell and curse at my twin. Others fall to their knees in pain or fear. I watch as he waves his hand at a rebellious crowd. A swarm over specters surrounds them and kills them within seconds. I begin to back away when my significant other begins to speak. His voice booms over the crowd.

"I, Jeremie Belpois have brought you all to a New Order! Though I didn't do this on my own. MY MASTER, XANA GUIDED MY FOOTSTEPS!" As if on que, a dark figure fazed behind him. I could easily distinguish this humanoid as XANA. His skin had a ghostly tint to it, with his insignia on his chest. XANA stalked forward, exchanging a glance with Dark Jeremie.

"HEY! STOP IT!" I yelled at the two. This wasn't a twin. This was me! In the future! I begin to back away in horror as XANA speaks. I leap off the balcony and push my way through the crowd. People give gasps of horror as they see my face.

"Monster."

"Oh, no!"

"Don't hurt me please!"

I clamp my hands against my ears and keep going. I see someone I never thought I'd see again. Ulrich Stern stood right in front of me, he had the eye of XANA.

"Sir, Jeremie." Ulrich gave a bow, "Do you have any orders for myself and the lieutenant?" He points to Yumi. My eyes widen. I shake my head and shove past them. It doesn't take long to find Odd. He is dressed in armor, herding the citizens towards the balcony as XANA continued speaking. I turn around to find the crowd screeching. There was a commotion on the balcony. I ran up there again to find Aelita facing off against myself while XANA watched with pleasure.

"JEREMIE LISTEN TO ME!" she shouted as she blocked his brutal attacks. His eyes softened to his normal ice blue at her voice.

"Aelita?" He asked her in slurred confusion.

"Yes, Jeremie. Come on you are better than this." She said calmly.

"I don't deserve this, kill me. You probably hate me for all I've done." He said. Aelita shook her head. It wasn't your fault.

"You should hate me, I failed the world." The crowd gave shocked yells and cries. I watched as many stood up as hope rose in their spirits. "The boy is free!" One yelled.

She said, "No, I don't hate you. I just want to save you while theres still something left to save."

The confused boy seemed to realize something, "I can't be saved. Run. While you still can." That Jeremie was close to crying now.

Aelita made the mistake of refusing, and XANA grew sick of his slave coming to his senses. At the snap of the AI's fingers, a specter lashed out and entered the boy's body. I stood frozen in horror as he tried to fight back. Eventually, he lost the battle for his mind.

"DIE!" Jeremie picked up his true love and threw her off the balcony. Aelita hit the ground with a deafening crack before she could even so much as scream.

"NOOOO!" I tried to tackle XANA for what he'd done but I slid right through his figure and over the balcony railing. I could only scream as I fell to my death.

…..

_Awake. Awake and alive. My name is Jeremie Belpois._ _I am on the brink of death. Why am I not dead? I should be dead._

Were the thoughts that I allowed to float in my head as I regained consciousness.


	5. Bluntly important filler :3

XANA's POV...

As I slither and wind around my captive, I begin to get impatient. _Why won't he break already? _I let out something of a snarl. I draw my lips back and bare my demonic teeth at Jeremie. To my dismay, the boy is unfazed. In fact he seems completely blank. He glares forward, his expression... he looks lost, finally bending towards the breaking point. My fabricated nightmares are eating at his humble mind. In fact, I even watched him react inside that dream. I sat on the sidelines, watching my specters taunt him. Jeremie of course, saw the specters as his friends, the ones he loved and longed for. I merely looked on as he reached out for a helping hand. The faces of his "friends" contorted. The all began to circle him.

"Failure." One said.

"Idiot." said another.

"Horrible friend." hissed yet another specter.

"Selfish." The specters enclosed on the kid. I could easily make out his tears and pleas for forgiveness. Such a strong boy, yet so fragile. It won't be long until his friends became his prisoners as well...

Yumi's POV...

I took over as leader of the group, keeping us together, trying to grab hold of what little hope we had. Our food was becoming scarce, and from what I've seen outside, the school is... Gone. I try to think of Jeremie often. He is the true leader. I always tell Aelita: "We'll find him someday." But it has been so long. How could he possibly still be alive? I am outside now looking around the site of where Jeremie was taken. I flinch at a sudden voice heard on the wind . Again, I hear a voice whisper in my ear.

_It's him!_

"Jeremie?" I call out.

_'Leave' _His voice rings in my head.

"Where are you?" I persist.

_'Get out of here! He'll find you.' _I can hear his fear through that simple sentence. With that warning I begin to run away.

Thwack! My head decides to pay a visit to a low hanging branch. I hit the ground. Hard.

'_Keep going.' _He urges_._

I stand up and run. Wait, where do I go?

'_West... Good now go Northeast... Watch that tree... Go down that path a little ways...'_ It brings tears to my eyes as I realize that he is helping me to go the right way, like on Lyoko. I come up on the safehouse. I look up to the sky upon instinct.

"Thanks Jeremie." I say.

I hear him curse and then there is a sort of demented voice that I can't make out.

"Jeremie?" I insist upon some sort of response. But, as if on que, he has become silent. I spit with annoyance. The one time I hear from him!

**Ok sorry. This was a really bad filler chapter that needed to happen. I know it was boring but i should have an interesting chapter up soon. Thanks and READ ON!**


	6. POSSESSION SLOWLY INTENSIFYING :

Jeremie's POV...

It was a relief to speak to Yumi. But now I feel more drained than ever. As I fizzle into consciousness, I remember one horrid detail about the whole thing. I directed her back to the safehouse.

_CRAP_. I think.

Almost exactly as I expected, a dark figure formulated from the floor. Perfect timing XANA. The AI cackled with delutional laughter.

"FOOL! You talk in your sleep." That statement felt like a slap to the face. Burning realization that he hadn't even entered my thoughts was eating at me. The guilt clawed at my soul. I practically told him EVERYTHING! All my efforts wasted. Might as well plan out a funeral, the Lyoko Warriors were all going to die.

"Leave them alone, XANA." Despite my pain, I ball my fists in anger. Again my torturer laughed in my face. Then he puts on a strait face.

"Oh, Jeremie, my boy," He feigns innocence, "I won't be the one hurting them."

I flail around in my chains.

"Stop LYING. Just kill me! Leave them alone, PLEASE!" I begged. I couldn't stand to lose them, if I made it through this, I wouldn't live with myself if they were dead.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't kill you. I will do much worse." The AI encircled me and I felt him enter my body. I struggled, I gave him alot of grief. As the darkness flooded my senses, I let out a yell for help. Even if no one could answer my call.

Blackness.

YUMI'S POV...

"HELP!"

I stare around the safehouse. Everyone else was asleep. Where had that come from?

Ulrich's POV...

I woke up to a loud bang. I groggily sit up to see a blur of blue and tan. I rub my eyes and my vision clears. With a gasp, I leap to my feet.

"Jeremie?" The boy turns around, grinning from ear to ear, electricity burning in his hands, eye of XANA fizzing in the place of his pupils. I give a yelp to the rest of the gang who all jump up.

Odd took a step forward, "Jeremie? I that really y-"

Jeremie grabbed him by the collar and sent him crashing through the wall.

"ODD NO!" Yumi cries. I hear stifled sobbing from Aelita. Jeremie stalks towards her.

THWACK!

My foot connects with his face and sends him to the floor. He rises and retaliates with a blast of lightning. I feel the current surge through my body. As I make contact with the floor I let out a plea,

"Jeremie, please. Stay with us here. You can fight this."

He freezes and the electricity dies down.

"Ul- Ulrich?" He whimpers.

"Yes." I reply bluntly.

The electricity starts crackling again.

"Jeremie stop this!" Aelita commands.

The eye of XANA fades and our friend falls, clutching his head. The symbol flits back into his eyes and he stumbles forward. Every step he takes seems like a huge effort and his electricity keeps flickering weakly, on and off.

"He's fighting it." Aelita whispered in shock. I silently matched her reaction. As weak as he was, Jeremie was fighting off XANA himself, in a battle for the genius' mind.

Just when it seemed the poor boy would lose, Yumi came inside with Odd. Odd seemed a bot shaken but nothing serious. They're faces changed to understanding as I gestured towards the Possessee.

"Jeremie, you can do this." She and Odd both added.

Jeremie was shaking now. His face red and his breathing was shallow and short. Aelita placed her hand gently on his shoulder. Jeremie's real pupils dialated. Black smoke shot out of his ears and nose.

The foul stuff whirled like a tornado and faded into nothing. Jeremie looked up at us. I saw something I hadn't seen in him for a long time. Fear. He was broken inside. My friend didn't know what to think. He was ashamed, scared, beaten into misery. I watched as he stumbled forward, trying to say something to Yumi. He fell into her arms, unconscious. What I saw, horrified me today. The most strong-willed boy in our group, bloody and bruised. I don't know what to do now, but now that Jeremie has defeated him, XANA will hit the groud running, and lash out at us.

Somehow I know that the end was near for at least some of us. This isn't a fight I expect to walk away from.

**BETTER? I hope you liked this. Its about to get rough for the Lyoko Warriors. Read ON!**

**-BlueBlur2000.**


	7. Reality?

**HEYO! I'm really sorry about the lameness of the last chapter. I was seriously in a rush to finish that awful filler. I hope you like my new after a quick DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CODE LYOKO OR ANY OF ITS COUNTERPARTS! I ONLY OWN THE STORYLINE THAT THE CL CHARACTERS FOLLOW. THANKYOU!**

Odd's POV_

Pain. Seeping through every body part that I could feel or move. I winced as Yumi nudged me forward. I felt like screeching at her for touching my injuries, but now wasn't the greatest time. I bit my lip and limped forward to the others. I tripped over some debris and was already running each set of possible pain levels though my head. Yumi caught me just in time, but just the force of my impact into her arms was enough to make me yelp. She led me to Aelita, and Ulrich. Aelita was crouch on the ground examining something but I didn't really notice.

"Odd! Dude, are you alright?" Ulrich exclaimed.

"Do I LOOK alright to you?" I moaned irritably.

Aelita looked up at me but said nothing, she handed Ulrich some medical stuff and resumed in her task. Curiosity burning, I found myself looking over Ulrich's shoulder to see what the pinkette was up to. I almost wish I hadn't. Jeremie was flat on the floor, unconscious. I backed away. I didn't like seeing him like this. I let Ulrich and Yumi tend to my wounds in silence, as thoughts on what would happen next raced through my head.

AELITA's POV_

Sitting next to Jeremie, I felt a wave of guilt pouring over me. This shouldn't be him. Pushing thoughts of the past away, I began to ask myself what would happen next. Movement at my side interrupted my thoughts. Jeremie had woken up.

Jeremie's POV_

Groggily, I try to sit up. Efforts of mine end up wasted because Ulrich pushes me down again, saying something about rest. I don't want rest I… Wait a minute. Ulrich's here? I bolt upright again, taking a look around. Aelita, Ulrich, Yumi, Odd… I count off the names of all my friends. Horror washes over me like a tide of seawater. Why am I in the Safehouse? What twisted nightmare have you given me now, XANA?

Yumi's Pov_

I hear shuffling and a muffled moan coming from behind me. I tear my attention from Odd's wounds to see what the commotion was. Jeremie was standing up, looking around. His gaze raked over our surroundings. Ulrich and Aelita force him into a hug, glad that their friend is back. I am about to do the same when I freeze in mid-step. Jeremie is standing stiffly, hands balled into fists at his side. He stares forward, icy blue eyes locked on nothing, lost in deep thought. Ulrich backs up finally along with Aelita.

"Something wrong, Jeremie?" Ulrich asks.

Ulrich's POV_

I realize that my recovering friend has not returned the hug. His icy stare bores into my eyes, and he seems to be whispering something. I can't understand even a word of it. This scares me though. He's back, so whats the problem?

Jeremie's POV_

I clench my fists at my sides. The specters are talking to me but I don't listen.

"They're not real, Jeremie, they're trying to trick you." I tell myself. The Ulrich specter places a hand on my shoulder.

"Feeling okay?" It says. I begin to shake. They all seemed so real. But I know that as soon as I trust them, they will turn against me.

"They're not real, Jeremie, don't listen, don't trust any of them." I remind myself quietly.

"Jeremie? C'mon answer. It's me Aelita." Her angelic voice slaps me in the face.

"You're not real." I whisper shakily, "Just leave me alone XANA."

Aelita's POV_

That shakes me to the core. Jeremie's blue eyes rest on me, they are accusing and a hint of fear is visible in their depths.

"You're not real." He repeats, louder so everyone can hear. Odd limps over to Jeremie.

Odd's POV_

I actually get a good look at Jeremie now. His blue turtleneck is tattered and filthy. Blood trickles from his lips and his glasses are barely usable anymore. Scrapes and bruises cover him, and his hair is a mess. These past weeks have pretty much done nothing good for him. I hold my hand out to Jeremie, but he pushes it away. Ulrich comes over to him and grabs his shoulders. Ulrich opens his mouth to speak as he does but all too soon I see Jeremie's eyes widen with surprise. Before anyone can move, Jeremie's fist flashes out blindly.

Ulrich's POV_

It hurts. It hurts to see your friend like this. He doesn't know what's real. What also hurt was Jeremie's fist connecting with my jaw. THWACK! I hear gasps from all around. Even one from Jeremie himself. He looks up at me with watery blue eyes.

"You're real." I can hear his voice shaking with disbelief. I try to question him but he keeps talking.

"My- my hand…. It didn't go through you. I- You- You're real, Ulrich."

I watch as my broken friend stares at the ground. I see a single tear splash against the concrete. I feel it necessary to hug him now. Aelita, Odd, and Yumi join the reunion. I can't help but feel that this isn't the end.

**OOOOOOO. Okay I hoped you like it. All that POV switching was on purpose! I hope it wasn't too confusing. Thanks for reading! R&R MY FRIENDS.**

**Blueblur2000 is out!**


	8. Apology not chapter

**HUGE apology you guys. I don't really know what to say. I've had a LOT of drama and issues lately… Family death, friendship problems, a lot of sports, and just complete uncertainty. I can't lie to myself any longer, and I definitely can't keep awesome people waiting for something that will not continue. I simply am unable to finish this story. You guys have no idea how bad I feel right now! **

**I feel selfish. And dumb. I also realize now that one of my hugest inspirations has come to read my work but I'm not even going to finish it for him/her. Though I will not be writing any more fanfics, I will continue to be a dedicated reader. Anyone who wants me to read their stories just PM me or review my (stupidly) UNFINISHED STORY with the name of the story and I will search it and read ASAP. **

**Though I may not be the greatest writer, I will always pursue my passion for reading. And JeremyX, I want you to know that you're stories are some of the hugest inspiration and awesomest things I have ever read! I saw your reviews and was instantly sad that I wouldn't be using your advice. To you and my dedicated readers and followers, keep writing and READ ON!**

**-Blueblur2000**


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